There is a live performance playing at the Schoolhouse Theatre here that is utterly silly, light-hearted, and slapstick.
Thank goodness for Drayton Entertainment.
Dads: The Musical is a timely comedy that has the audience laughing away the worries of the week and the oncoming winter.
It is a hilarious look at three fathers defaulted into full-time care of their newborn babies. Though men and women may have a different slant on the humour, all can empathize a lot through tears of laughter.
The stars of the show consist of three very different men, one woman, and a set of puppet “babies” seemingly from another planet.
The fathers find comfort in one another as they embark upon the most trying (but mirthful) undertaking of their lives to date.
Sam Owen plays Joey Dingle, nerdy Latin professor and new father of twin boys. His therapist advises him to take a year off coinciding with their birth, which takes him out of the frying pan and into the fire.
His baby boys with the same heads call to mind Alfred E. Neuman on Pablum. Each glimpse of their innocently awry faces has the audience wailing with laughter.
Owen lends great energy and ardor to his role and the audience seemed to particularly enjoy him when he steps out of the box and grinds out such numbers as The Savage is Back.
Stephanie McNamara plays “The Woman.” This title is a great time saver as she plays every female part in the show – all three of the wives (from waitress to lawyer), several bosses, a therapist, and even a heavily accented Euro-professor type.
She assumes all of these parts with such ease that the audience does not even endeavour to think of the frantic costume changes that must be taking place behind the stage.
She manages to lend a special touch to each of her roles and is particularly appealing as the waitress wife of Kirk, as she portrays – through words, song, and expression – a woman anguished in her roles.
John Devorski plays Charles, a Yuppie type, whose life is all conference calls and Brunching In Bangkok until redundancy changes it to The Oh-So-Colicky Blues.
His sleep deprived role is so convincing that the audience almost sympathizes with him through their glee.
Cory O’Brien plays Kirk, the construction worker dude laid off and left to care for his brand new daughter. The juxtaposition of good-time young lad and housebound dad is exemplified in his wonderful performance of A Fistful of Pampers.
O’Brien, like his fellow performers, is a seasoned Drayton Entertainment performer (Man of La Mancha, The Secret Garden) with many credits beyond as well.
Greg Diakun is the Music Director for the evening and lends further merriment with his presence and piano accompaniment.
Set and Lighting Designer Jeff Johnston Collins set the stage for fun with a creative look, including three little nurseries and the means to shenanigans within them.
Dads: The Musical was written by Robert More with music by Tom Doyle.
Audience members knew they were in for a good time opening night when host Neil Aitchison and Artistic Director (and Dads director) Alex Mustakas introduced the show, exuding goodwill and joviality.
Drayton Entertainment is the third-largest professional summer theatre company in Canada, just after Stratford and Shaw. Dads: The Musical plays through to December 22nd, eight shows per week.
Tickets can be ordered by calling the Drayton Entertainment Box Office at 519-638-5555 or toll free at 1-888-449-4463.
Visit draytonentertainment.com for more information.
